PREPARE YOUR PAPERUnroll each strip so that they face the same way. The top of the strip has no white space, and the bottom has a narrow line of white labeled “bottom”. Don’t trim any part of the paper before hanging.

PREPARE YOUR WALLThe wall you’re applying your paper to should be smooth, clean and dust free. Patch or sand any damaged areas of the wall, especially where sharp edges might pierce or tear the wallpaper. For best results, apply wallpaper to a surface that is a solid, light color. If your wall has been recently painted, allow at least 4+ weeks for the paint to cure before applying wallpaper. Applying wallpaper over uncured paint can lead to bubbling.

START HANGING

START AT THE LEFT EDGE OF YOUR WALLIf you’re applying multiple strips of wallpaper, hang them from left to right to ensure a smooth repeat of the design. Start with the upper left corner of the room, wall, or other surface you’re covering. If covering an entire room, choose an inconspicuous corner to begin since the repeat will not match up on the final seam.

WET AND FOLD THE PAPERUsing a clean paint roller or sponge, thoroughly wet the back of the paper, making sure not to leave any dry spots. Once it’s wet, gently fold the pasted side in on itself by folding the top and bottom of each piece to meet in the middle, taking care not to crease the paper(Figure A)-- this is called ‘booking.’. Set the paper aside for 3-5 minutes to rest and activate the adhesive.

START APPLYINGPick up your first strip and unfold just the top half of the paper, leaving the edge labeled “BOTTOM” still booked(Figure B). Align the top of the wallpaper with the ceiling, making sure the edge is straight and even on the wall. Ask your friend to step back and check that the strip is straight and level. Painter’s tape can be used to secure the paper if it begins to slip. Once the paper is in position, unfold the bottom half of the strip and smooth downward with a damp sponge. Take care to remove large air bubbles as you go; smaller bubbles will dissipate as the wallpaper dries.

KEEP GOINGPick up your second strip of wallpaper and apply it so that its left side overlaps the right side of the previous strip by approximately ¾ inch, carefully visually matching the repeat. There is no need to trim the overlap; it guarantees that the wallpaper will repeat seamlessly(Figure C). Repeat this step, moving from left to right and aligning each new strip over the strip to its left.

FINISHING UPLet your wallpaper dry completely -- this usually takes about 3 hours -- before using a sharp utility knife to trim the extra paper at the edges of the paper. Wipe the walls with a damp sponge to remove excess adhesive. Now stand back and admire your work.